To Sheila's surprise, Sophia approached her for a hug.
"Don't be fooled. That little devil just wants to escape her punishment," said Benjamin while dialing a number on his phone.
Sheila, noticing how the little girl started hugging her tighter, decided to intervene.
"Wait."
Benjamin's gaze focused on Sheila.
"Can't you cover for her?"
At the moment Sheila said those words, the person Benjamin had called answered.
"Benjamin? What happened?"
For a few seconds, Benjamin remained silent as he observed Sheila's face and the girl hugging her.
"Sorry, it seems my phone called you by accident," explained Benjamin as he walked away from the girls to end the call.
"Thank you so much, miss!" said the girl while rubbing her face against Sheila's stomach.
Letting out a small laugh at this reaction, Sheila patted the girl's head.
"You're welcome, but promise me that from now on you'll behave better, okay?"
"Yes…", Sophia answered in a low tone.
"Miss…"
"What's wrong?", asked Sheila in a kind tone.
"What's your name?", asked Sophia as she began to separate from Sheila.
"Treit," replied Sheila with a smile.
Sophia began to repeat that name several times, as her tongue twisted each time she tried to say it.
Watching this scene captivated Sheila a little while feeling some guilt.
Benjamin, once he managed to end his call, approached the girls again and asked:
"Alright. What do you want to do now?"
"Aren't you the one with the ideas?", asked Sheila while frowning.
The truth was that she was getting tired of Benjamin's change of attitude.
"You have a point, but before I share my new and amazing idea, are you sure you can take care of her?", asked Benjamin while pointing at Sophia.
Sophia, noticing this, didn't hesitate for a second to stick her tongue out at Benjamin.
"Of course. I don't have all my equipment, but…"
'Shit', thought Sheila immediately as she realized that she had technically confirmed she was a doctor.
Well… thinking deeply, and considering all the actions she had taken during the trip in front of various people, including him, plus the statement she made minutes ago to treat Sophia…
'As long as he doesn't know my name… yes, I just need to avoid him knowing my name and what I do for a living,' Sheila thought in an attempt to convince herself that she hadn't already messed up completely.
The reason Sheila was so cautious on this trip as to hide what she did for a living was because in Vespera it was illegal to treat patients the way she did.
The law was quite severe, so she didn't want to get into trouble, but she couldn't help but act instinctively.
"Perfect. Then follow me, let's eat. Although it might not seem like it, this place has very good restaurants," commented Benjamin as he began to walk to guide them.
Sophia took the initiative to grab Sheila's hand.
"Miss Treit, let's go!", said Sophia in an animated tone, pulling Sheila out of her thoughts.
"Yes…," replied Sheila as she tried to forget the possibility that someone might have recorded her.
Sheila was surprised to see that the restaurant was a lively and bustling place, perfect for the amusement park atmosphere.
The tables were decorated with bright and cheerful colors, and there were balloons and garlands hanging from the ceiling.
The employees wore themed costumes of characters from stories and movies, making the whole place feel like an extension of the park's fun.
The aroma of freshly made food filled the air, mingling with the sound of laughter and conversations.
In one corner, an entertainer was performing magic tricks for the children, while in another, a group of musicians played cheerful melodies with guitars and drums.
"This place is amazing," murmured Sheila, trying to take in all the details around her.
Why hadn't she come to a place like this before?
'This feeling…,' thought Sheila as she noticed she was feeling the same as she had felt while watching the storm happening while traveling on the plane with Blortus.
"Let's get ice cream!", shouted Sophia while pointing to the place where people were lining up.
"Sure, and if you want, I'll order some to take away so you can keep skipping your classes," said Benjamin with a smile, to which Sophia stepped back and stood behind Sheila.
'My arm…,' thought Sheila enduring the pain with a smile.
"Please…," said Sophia in a low voice.
"No," replied Benjamin immediately.
Thus, Benjamin entered a battle of patience with Sophia, where they both repeated their same words over and over again.
"Benjamin," said Sheila, interrupting their battle.
"Just… buy her the ice cream, please."